Work-life balance and employee benefits

Work vs. Life Balance

The research endeavor presented here concerns the relationship between the changing needs of the current generation of workers and the persistent need for effective work/life balance strategies and employing firms. The primary problem discussed in the research is the twofold issue: of employing companies failing to establish work/life balance strategies; or the failure of employing companies to evolve in these strategies according to the changing needs of Generation Y personnel. The literature review will center on the connections between changes in culture, technology and the global labor pool and the different needs of today's workers, particularly as these needs contrast traditional work/life balance strategies. The Literature Review section examines that which is meant by work/life balance; how this is successfully or unsuccessfully approached by existing firms; how changes in the experience of the modern employee are manifesting in changes in work/life balance needs; and how intuitive steps must be taken in order to achieve a positive work/life balance that connects to such desired and interrelated outcomes of improved employee morale, improved performance, improved organizational culture and improved quality assurance. The literature review is followed by a case study of Wegmans Food Markets, which was selected based on its recurrence during the search for resources on work/life balance. The firmed turned up as consistently ranked highly by external sources for its achieving of positive employee work/life balance programs. The case study will assess these rankings -- which are intended to reflect traditional measures of positive employee work/life balance -- in light of the experience of actual Wegmans' personnel -- whose views are intended to reflect the perception of the current generation of employees on how effectively such measures achieve the necessary balance. The findings will reflect a disconnect between the consistently high rankings of Wegmans Food Markets in the area of work/life balance and the experience of the current generation of workers. The conclusion denotes that this appears to confirm the findings of the Literature Review and the basic hypothesis that there is a need for many organizations to adjust work/life balance policies to meet the changing needs of the current generation of workers.

Work/Life Balance and the Changing Needs of the Modern Worker

Introduction

The life of the modern worker is undergoing a wide range of changes today and company leaders, employers and decision makers are struggling to remain responsive to these changes. The emerging generation of employees, characterized by sociological theorists as Generation Y and being attributed hazily to births in the years between the mid 1970s and the early 1990s, has come of age in a time of rampant technological expansion, a wild proliferation of information accessibility, a dismantling of the communicational and economic barriers between nations and a host of cultural changes inclining the greater embrace of multiculturalism. These are conditions all which have significantly altered these employment landscape from that which sprawled out before previous generations of employees.

In particular, these conditions have changed the way that employees perceive, approach or experience their familial, home-life and personal needs. They have also changed perceptions as to the boundaries between these two dimensions of one's life, leading to a protracted theoretical discourse in the organizational setting on how best to retain high employee morale without sacrificing productivity goals. The dilemma is at the root of the policies developed by myriad companies either to nurture or intervene with positive work/life balance. This induces the need for the research which is to be conducted hereafter. As the Problem Statement provided hereafter will explain in greater detail, the array of changes in the experience of the modern worker have only further illuminated the importance of establishing clear work/life balance programs and policies. Indeed, research will connect positive achievement of this balance with desirable organizational outcomes such as high employee morale and consequently high employee performance. This denotes the overarching hypothesis of the present Literature Review and subsequent case study involving employee work/life balance at Wegmans Food Markets. Namely, the research hypothesizes that employment firms have not yet identified or adjusted to the labor conditions facing the current generation of employees by creating programs that effectively facilitate their evolving work/life balance needs.

Problem Statement

The Literature Review and Research Methodology engaged here below center on the common premise that many companies fall short of achieving work/life balance for their employees because they fail to remain abreast of changing personal, familial and cultural needs. As the economy endures a sustained recession and approaches to employment are altered by the labor prerogatives of globalization, many firms have not evolved to meet the needs of a new generation of workers. Features such as the educational attainment, access to information technology, communicational dexterity, familial perspective and diversity of racial, national or ethnic background are creating a new workforce. The so-called Generation Y workforce has a new set of personal, social, psychological and economic needs that, the researchers here hypothesize, are not being met by current strategies for attaining work/life balance in American manufacturing or retail contexts.

This problem can be characterized in two basic dimensions, which are the failure of current companies to consider the philosophical, practical and organizational benefits of creating this work/life balance for their employees; and the failure of companies who desire to create this work/life balance to adapt their strategies according to the aforementioned changes in the needs of the current generation of workers. The degree of importance which this problem registers in the context of organizational management is underscored both by the humanitarian and the practical implications of work/life balance.

These implications intercede in the recommendations made by the Mayo Clinic Staff (2010) which assert the importance of work/life balance to the psychological and physiological well-being of individuals. Here, the Mayo Clinic Staff alludes to the pertinence of changing employment conditions and parameters for the current generation of workers and implies that this is altering the nature of the challenge that is encapsulated by the work/life balance. The Mayo Clinic Staff denotes that "there was a time when the boundaries between work and home were fairly clear. Today, however, work is likely to invade your personal life -- and maintaining work-life balance is no simple task." (p. 1) These Literature Review and research conducted hereafter will consider the implications of this task in light of the cultural, technological and economic conditions that are constantly in a state of flux.

The article by the Mayo Clinic goes on to emphasize this idea that the needs of individual employees are constantly in flux, suggesting that employing firms must work hard to achieve the kind of flexibility and compassion demanded by each individual employee if they are to yield the best possible performance outcomes. As this relates to the central problem of the present research, the Mayo Clinic Staff reports that "striking a healthy work-life balance isn't a one-shot deal. Creating work-life balance is a continuous process as your family, interests and work life change." (p. 2) This denotes that an inherent part of each individual's working life cycle is a changing definition for what translates to a satisfying or fulfilling work/life balance. The modern firm will project these evolving needs and design its programs and Human Resource strategies to facilitate these needs pragmatically.

Rauh (2010) supports this claim, indicating that pertinent research shows a disconnect between the evolving needs of the modern worker and the perception of employers regarding that which yields the greatest productivity outcomes. Accordingly, Rauh reports on an interview with professor of psychology at Kent State University Stevan Hobfoil, who indicates that "there's a mythology in the workplace that more hours means more.' . . . Demonstrate that you can deliver the same or better results in fewer hours. Your job performance 'should never be judged in terms of hours of input,' Hobfoll says. Protecting your private time often leads to 'greater satisfaction in both work life and personal life, greater productivity, and more creativity.'" (Rauh, p. 1)

This denotes that at the root of the problem discussed here is a changing set of views on the relationship between work/life balance and performance outcomes. The Literature Review will set out to characterize these changes and the various challenges produced thereby. The subsequent research approach will set out to demonstrate the most pertinent findings drawn from the review of literature.

Literature Review

The present literature review centers on the problem of changing worker needs where work/life balance is concerned. Findings have been gathered with the intention of producing a basic overview on what is meant by work/life balance; how this is successfully or unsuccessfully approached by existing firms; how changes in the experience of the modern employee are manifesting in changes in work/life balance needs; and how intuitive steps must be taken in order to achieve a positive work/life balance that connects to such desired and interrelated outcomes of improved employee morale, improved performance, improved organizational culture and improved quality assurance.

Wood (2005) provides a basic definition to work/life balance which is used as an overarching framework for the discussion and research conducted hereafter. Wood indicates that "everyone has different motivations and aspirations that they wish to achieve in their life. Work-life balance is about adjustments that can be made to working patterns to enable people to combine work with the other facets of their life. Bratton and Gold (2003: 105) de-ne work-life balance as, 'the relationship between the institutional and cultural times and spaces of work and non-work in societies where income is predominantly generated and distributed through labour markets.'" (p. 388) This implicates various aspects of one's working experience, including the manner in which one's responsibility's are balanced with one's personal needs; the degree to which social needs are constructed within the workplace; and the manner in which the employer goes about providing opportunities for attendance of personal needs for employees. This definition is also underscored by the basic assumption that employee morale and work/life balance are inextricable and that, additionally, these two features are inextricable from performance outcomes. This assumption is underscored by the research produced by Joshi et al. (2002) which centers its discussion on work/life balance on the issues of single parenting, the provision of daycare to employee children and access to telecommuting opportunities. Joshi et al. find indicate the connection between performance and the provision of work/life balance programs and benefits. Joshi et al. indicate that "for U.S. companies, work-life balance offers a competitive advantage, in that they are able to recruit the best candidates and potentially increase their loyalty to the company." (p. 11)

To this point, research denotes that an organization's performance success will be inherently based on the ability of leadership to administrate positive working experiences, a health organizational culture and the high morale which associates to quality personnel performance. This means that an organization must find ways to maintain a high level of worker satisfaction and to measure this satisfaction according to clearly defined performance expectations. Current research highlights the necessity of such a system, with Aryee et al. (2005) contending that there is a direct relationship between employee morale and employee performance. The article by Aryee et al. indicates that this relationship is particularly impacted by the degree to which the employing organization facilitates a healthy balance between work life and family life. By recognizing the economic implications of higher worker satisfaction levels, a company is inclined to implement certain policies which prioritize time for family, friends and socializing outside of the workplace. Available research endorses this as a more effective way of yielding positive employee performances than through micromanagement, individual production quotas or aggressive overtime policies. Indeed, Aryee et al. argue that these latter strategies tend to produce negative emotional and psychological experiences for the employee. The researchers argue that "Role overload describes a perception of having too many things to do and not enough time to do them (Caplan, Cobb, French, Harrison, & Pinneau, 1975). Work overload has been found to be positively related to work -- family and family -- work conflict." (Aryee et al., 134)

Aryee et al. make the argument that too great an impingement upon the worker's personal time will cause the invasion of negative feelings and distractive resentment during work hours. Moreover, Aryee et al. produce the positive counterpoint to this finding, indicating that where the company achieves higher levels of accommodation for balance, it will observe positive outcomes in terms of personnel orientation. Aryee et al. report on this point that within the scope of their research, "work-family facilitation was related to the work outcomes of job satisfaction and organizational commitment" (p. 132).

To an extent, this reinforces the findings in the research by Hall & Richter (1989) which remarks that in recent decades, employers have begun to reconsider the implications of the work-family balance. Frequently, in the past, organizations have attempted to redress what they view as the predominance of work-life by creating family functions there within. This includes such practices as company picnics, spousal social clubs and onsite daycare services. However, as Hall & Richer report, the changing needs in the lives of the current generation of worker requires a consideration of this approach. Indeed, the discontent still experienced by personnel at many firms which offer these types of benefits suggests that changes in the culture and in the life needs of Generation Y workers is imposing discord between current work/life balance tactics and those which might bring the practicing firm a return on its investment. In this instances, it is of value to note that the failure of some firms to facilitate work/life balance is not a consequence of neglect as much as it is a consequence of outmoded thinking. Hall & Richter indicate that "while many current organizational and personal methods of coping with work/home tensions entail greater integration of the two domains, Hall and Richter find that what employees really need is to have clear boundaries and some degree of separation between their work and home lives." (Hall & Richter, 213)

This underscores an emergent challenge for the modern firm not just to propose solutions to the traditional problems of maintaining family and home-life in light of work responsibilities but for the firm to work to truly gain an understanding for what this means. The Hall & Richter study centers on the premise that this understanding is lacking, attributed largely to the holdover of assumptions from previous generations of worker. Changes in information technology, various departures over recent decades from traditional assumptions about family structure and the ever-refining imperative to achieve a level of multicultural sensitivity have all impacted the way that employees experience their work responsibilities. The text by Hall & Richter expresses the concern that many firms and organizational theorists have not evolved in their perspective to accommodate these changes. To this point, Hall & Richter indicate that "many organizations value the importance of work/home balance and have a sincere desire to address it. However, despite their concern, they simply do not know how to approach the question." (p. 213) Based on this argument, the Hall & Richter article helps to support the major prerogative driving the research process conducted hereafter.

Building on the claims produced by Hall & Richter, evidence suggests that there is a need for the evolving firm to develop programs which specifically encourage and enable greater dedication and attention to one's family life. Existing pilot programs have raised the emphasis on certain modes of greater flexibility with respect to work hours and work days, allowing individuals to create somewhat more personalized schedules based on their needs outside of work. Such a program is discussed in the research by Hill et al. (2004), which identifies job flexibility as a feature which improves both one's family life and the morale which one brings to work. Both features are shown in the research to connect to positive work role performance and job outcomes. Accordingly, Hill et al. report that "perceived job flexibility is related to improved work-family balance after controlling for paid work hours, unpaid domestic labor hours, gender, marital status, and occupational level. Perceived job flexibility appears to be beneficial both to individuals and to businesses. Given the same workload, individuals with perceived job flexibility have more favorable work-family balance. Likewise, employees with perceived job flexibility are able to work longer hours before workload negatively impacts their work-family balance." (Hill et al., 49)

To this end, Hill et al. make the case that job flexibility does not bear a direct relationship to a reduction in workload -- a concern which may be identified as chief among those for organizational leaders balking at making too many employee allowances. But in cases such as production settings, where the speed and efficiency of output are equivalent to profitability, it is important to find ways to offset the imbalance between work and family without impeding on the labor needs of the operation. Therefore, work hour and work day flexibility emerges as a sensible counterpoint to the concerns raised by Aryee et al. regarding overload without compromising the ability of an organization to maintain its expected production and output rates.

Quite to the point, a dominant finding in the Literature Review section of the present research is that productivity during the hours in use is directly impacted by a greater sense of satisfaction with one's life outside of work. The distracting impulses which divert one's work focus and make the prioritizing of work role responsibilities difficult may often be magnified by the sense that the job itself detains an individual from attending to his or her personal life. In the study by Fagnani & Letablier (2004), a pilot program which demanded a five hour cut in the work-week amongst manufacturing firms would result in largely positive experiences for personnel both with respect to their familial obligations and in connection to their work-role attitudes and performance. Fagnani & Letbalier report of their survey that "six out of ten respondents reported a positive impact of the reduction on their work/family balance. Their judgment is dependent on the organization of work, whether it is regular and based on standard working hours or irregular schedules." (Fagnani & Letablier, p. 551)

This suggests that in a broad array of cultural contexts, workers have been shown to benefit in their respective workplace from a reduction rather an increase in the amount of work hours given to complete expected tasks. The degree to which this can be shown to allow individuals to address core concerns in maintaining healthy marriages, providing adequate parenting, maintaining one's household and possessing some satisfying social life is instrumental to their focus on responsibilities when on the job. Fagnani & Letablier go on to argue that the importance of promoting a suitable work/life balance is highlighted by a sharp divergence of the experience of personnel in two distinct types of firms; which it identifies as 'family friendly' or 'unsocial' in nature. Fagnani & Letablier make the case that through its research, "inequalities between workers are revealed: between those employed in sheltered economic sectors and 'family-friendly' companies, and those who have to accept unsocial or flexible hours of work in exchange of a reduction of their working time." (p. 551)

This is to indicate that there is an inherent correlation between the fundamental humanitarian implications and the practical organizational imperatives requisite to this discussion. The research by Faganan & Letablier indicates that for those employed by 'unsocial' firms, the outcomes both in terms of life experience and performance outcome will be diminished whereas those 'family friendly' firms with effectively apply work/life balance strategies will boast personnel with high quality-of-life experiences and positive workplace outcomes.

That said, our research does also demonstrate that the design of work/life balance programs should acknowledge and make accommodation for certain variables. Due to the socialization of family roles and home-life responsibilities, Higgins et al. (1994) find that "significant differences were found for gender and life cycle. For all components of work-family conflict, an interaction between gender and life-cycle was observed. For men, levels of work-family conflict were moderately lower in each successive life-cycle stage. For women, levels were similar in the two early life-cycle stages but were significantly lower in the later life-cycle stage." (Higgins et al., p. 144) This indicates that based on gender and life-cycle features and the way that these correlate to different responsibilities and roles at home, those aspiring to become family-friendly firms would be well served to create flexibility programs which revolve on such individual-specific factors as maternity, marital status and health or well-being.

An interesting finding which helps to particularize the Literature Review to the experiences of the current generation of employees is that offered by Miller et al. (2006), which relates shifts in business technology to changes in the experience of personnel. Particularly, Miller et al. focus on the proliferation of such technologies as the laptop computer, the mobile smart phone and high speed internet for personal usage. Miller et al. report that these features of the modern work experience are in many was erasing the boundary between work life and home life. In light of the findings reported upon by Hall & Richter above, one might predict that this has produced a negative impact on personnel. Particularly, the notion that the required separation between the workplace and one's home life is not honored by the implications of 24/7 communication technologies causes the present research to presume a negative outcome to worker morale. Miller et al. produce a finding quite to the contrary however, instead indicating that "Qualitative analyses revealed the perception of greater productivity, higher morale, increased flexibility and longer work hours due to telework, as well as an equivocal influence on work/life balance and a negative influence on teamwork. Using a quasi-experimental design, quantitative multivariate analyses supported the qualitative findings related to productivity, flexibility and work/life balance." (p. 667)

According to the study by Miller et al., work/life balance was enabled by the ability to work from home. This contrasts the view of Hall & Richter that separation is required between the two spheres of one's life. Instead, this inclines the research toward the view that instruments which enhance the ability of personnel to work according to their own schedules and lifestyle demands may significantly improve the focus and morale which go into this work. It bears noting that the study by Miller et al. was conducted with a sample of IBM workers, indicating that the firm in question and the roles of the personnel considered by the study are both well-suited to the 'virtual office' strategies there-employed. A focus on production or retail laborers will naturally differ in its approach as virtual strategies for achieving the work/life balance are typically neither practical nor appropriate.

That said, sources such as the article by Ludden (2010) point directly to the success reported by firms across a broad array of industries and sectors that have seen great improvement in performance outcomes by working to better understand and accommodate the evolving needs of families. Indeed, contrary to previous generations, the family and economic structures of American society leave less time for either parent to serve domestic interests. Ludden examines those innovative firms that have reconsidered the way that employee hours and responsibilities are correlated. Ludden reports that "more and more employers are discovering that loosening the traditionally rigid work schedule pays off. Sleep says her retention rate over 16 years is an astonishing 95%. And study after study shows productivity also shoots up. More than half of companies now say they offer flextime, and one-third allow telecommuting at least part-time." (p. 1)

Ludden goes on to indicate though that there is often a high level of mischaracterization and Public Relations posturing that accompanies claims of aggressive work/life balance policies. According to her research, many studies within the context highly reputable employers tend to show the reverse, that work/life balance is not as generous as typically advertised. Ludden reports that "employees don't find their workplaces nearly as flexible as managers report. Work-family experts say arrangements often appear more generous on paper than in practice and can be highly dependent on the generosity of immediate supervisors. What's more, the bad economy has led some employers to take away flex benefits." (p. 1)

One explanation for this which is provided in Ludden's article gets to the heart of the present research endeavor, suggesting that the emphasis on family life as the key indicator of work/life balance has the effect of leaving many member so the newer generation of workers out in the cold. In other words, the priorities and interest of privacy, work/life separation and investment in personal growth are often overlooked with respect to Generation Y employees. Accordingly, Ludden indicates that "when you talk about Gen-X or Gen-Y or the millennials, they've taught us that we can't necessarily say work-family balance,' says Lisa Horn of the Society for Human Resource Management. The preferred term now is work-life, because young workers apparently value their flexibility just as much as a working mom. You may have heard that millennials in the workplace are lazy and 'entitled,' but sociologist Moen says that's a bad rap. She says young workers simply don't want to wait decades until retirement for their quality of life." (p. 1)

This alludes to the disconnect between HR policies and perspectives and the actual needs of the current generation of employees. The result is that many firms are failing to gain the desired returns of positive employee morale, quality employee performance and low turnover rates in spite of their prodigious investments. Accordingly, Maxwell & McDougall (2004) provide the argument that "while the growing amount of support and research in the area can contribute to the development of WLB, it has been suggested that there is often a lack of 'connection' between the inherent issues on the macro, organizational and individual levels." (p. 377) This contradiction is a primary concern that drives the case study proposed here below and intended to concern a firm which just such a contradiction appears to exist.

Methodology

Based on its recurrence in the literature and its consistent ranking among the top companies in the United States with respect to achieving a sound work/life balance, the researchers have selected Wegmans Food Markets for critical evaluation. The study will attempt to resolve the discussion on the suitability of current work/life balance strategies with the perceptions of the current generation of workers by using a case study as the methodological framework. Therefore, the research endeavor will note the comparative likenesses and contrasting perspectives observed in the institutional evaluation of Wegmans and in the evaluation of its personnel. Based on the research that will be conducted hereafter, the account will attempt to resolve the question as to how well Wegmans' investment in achieving work/life balance for its personnel is being received by said personnel. Based on the findings produced through the literature review that many traditional retail firms are struggling to keep apace with the expectations and needs of the new generation of workers, it is presumed that the research will demonstrate that there is a critical divergence between Wegmans' vaunted reputation for achieving positive work/life balance for its personnel and the experience reported to by many of its personnel.

The study will rely heavily on qualitative data, with its research based primarily on the documented claims relating to Wegmans' performance in the area of employee work/life balance as are available through industry trade publications and Wegmans' own internal and Public Relations communications; and secondarily through the thick descriptive reports of experiences by actual employees of Wegmans Food Markets as compiled by the JobVent.com site. This site compiles company reviews from anonymous respondents and is administered from a fully objective standpoint. As a result, the reports of working conditions at Wegmans are drawn from anonymous respondents claiming to work for Wegmans Food Markets and running the full spectrum of criticism and praise.

The research will first provide a profile of Wegmans Food Markets as a corporation, including a discussion on its history and features which distinguish it in the marketplace. Subsequently, the case study will focus on the industry reports and trade rankings that have identified Wegmans as performing positively in the area of work/life balance. This part of the process will also require a search for external sources commenting to the contrary. Labor advocacy and worker rights organizations will be considered a likely source for dissenting opinions on Wegmans' largely externally praised work/life balance achievements.

Finally, these considerations will be discussed in light of the experiential reports of the current generation of Wegmans Food Markets employees as drawn from the JobVent site. Researchers will conduct a full review of reports provided by employees, drawing on those which relate directly to the concept of work/life balance in order to make analytical assumptions regarding the relevance of Wegmans' externally positive reputation to the actual needs of today's retail worker. This will be drawn into a discussion concerning Wegmans investment in attaining work/life balance vs. its returns as dictated by employee experience.

Findings

Overview:

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is identified as a family-owned firm. Founded in Rochester, New York, the grocery store chain has more than 75 stores which are distributed across the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. (Wikipedia, 1) Wegmans has locations in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland and maintains the surname of its founding and still-controlling family. The Chairman and CEO of the company is Danny Wegman, grandson and nephew of the brothers who founded the company as the Rochester Fruit and Vegetable Company. (Wikipedia, 1)

In keeping with its reputation as a family firm, Wegman's daughters Colleen and Nicole are the president and vice president of restaurant operations respectively within the firms front offices. (Wikipedia, p. 1) The firm also has a positive reputation in terms of corporate social responsibility, with Danny Wegman's father Robert bringing considerable attention to the firm for his affiliation with philanthropic activities. Accordingly, "during his life, Robert Wegman distinguished himself as a pioneer in the retail food business, as well as a generous donor to educational institutions and other charities." (Wikipedia, 1) Other credits to its reputation as a socially responsible firm concern its 2008 decision to desist any marketing of tobacco-based products and its simultaneous establishment of smoking-cessation counseling sessions for any personnel desiring this treatment. This denotes that Wegmans has worked to evolve in its approach to meeting employee needs as its views changes in these needs.

It also denotes a greater capacity on the part of Wegmans to act independently toward the improvement of employee experiences as the company itself grows. It is among the most successful retail firms and food retail firms in the United States, with its expansion today seeing the firm reaching new heights as it nears the century mark in age. Accordingly, "in 2009, Wegmans ranked number 29 on the Supermarket News list of the Top 75 North American Food Retailers based on sales volume, up from number 32 on the 2007 Supermarket News list, and 7th among privately held U.S. supermarkets. 2009 Stores Magazine showed it to be the 74th largest retailer in the United States with estimated revenues of $4.67 billion. As of 2006, it was the 66th largest privately held company, as determined by Forbes." (Wikipedia, 1) In light of its continued expansion and the improvement of its visibility in its region, it has projected plans to open new store locations in Massachusetts by 2011. (Wikipedia, 1)

Wegmans has distinguished itself amongst grocery store chains for the consumer experience which it seeks to create. Adhering to the 'superstore' approach innovated by retail firms such as Wal-Mart but targeting upper-middle class and affluent consumers, Wegmans stores feature sprawling departments with a gamut of organic, gourmet, international, dietary and specialty foods interspersed with a broad selection of familiar brands and its own Wegman's brand foods. Additionally, most Wegmans Food Markets feature cafe areas, fresh backers, fishmongers, delis, butchers and dine-in restaurants designed to create a more expansive culinary experience for the consumer. These elements give Wegmans Food Markets its competitive edge over the traditional grocery store model. Because of its extremely wide food selection, Wegmans is still able to remain price competitive.

Beyond these features, what most suits Wegmans to the purposes of the current study is the firm's overwhelmingly positive reputation with respect to employee experiences and job quality. Upon consulting external evaluations on the subject, researchers find Wegmans to be among the most consistently rated firms in an array of areas that reflect its approach to employee work/life balance. So denotes the subsequent section of the case study.

External Praise:

Correspondent to the company's precipitous rise in visibility and success is the sustained recognition which it has received from external sources for its treatment of employees, for the quality of the job experience at Wegmans and for its evolving attention to employee needs. Accordingly, we consider that the highly-reputable Fortune magazine -- generally considered a leading source on business performance and corporate ranking in myriad categories -- which began compiling an annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" list in 1998. Since that time, Wegmans has appeared on every single annual list, including 8 consecutive appearances in the top 10. (Wikipedia, 1)

A 2006 edition of this annual list also breaks down firm performances in specific categories. With respect to Work-Life Balance, Fortune would rank Wegmans Food Markets as the 4th best company to work for. This category would be qualified as companies "where employees feel 'encouraged to balance their work and personal life.'" (CNNMoney, 1) Overall, Wegmans ranked 2nd that year among employers. (CNN Money, 1)

These rankings would correspond with the findings of correlated research by Fortune and published through CNN Money. Accordingly, the article by Boyle (2005) investigates the reasons that Wegmans consistently rates so high in the array of categories relating to job quality. Boyle reports that "supermarkets aren't often thought of as desirable employers, what with low pay, grueling hours, annual turnover rates that can approach 100% for part-timers, and labor unrest such as last year's strike in California. Wegmans, however -- along with the three other grocers on our Top 100 list -- does things differently, including the way it deals with employees. The company has proved adept at battling the intractable problem facing grocery stores in this country -- that there's no compelling reason to shop there anymore." (p. 1)

Boyle indicates that one of the reasons for Wegmans continued growth and expansion is its distinct set of accomplishments in the area of meeting employee work/life balance interests. Boyle argues that this is a primary reason for its ability to outperform competitors in a challenging marketplace, denoting that the positive employee experience produced by Wegmans policies is responsible for various economic indicators that place Wegmans in a league of its own. This is to denote that it has invested significantly in its employees and in its labor costs to the end of improving employee experiences and, as the Boyle aticle shows, this investment has resulted in better financial returns. Boyle indicagtes that "Wegmans' labor costs run between 15% and 17% of sales . . . compared with 12% for most supermarket. But its annual turnover rate for full-time employees is just 6%, a fraction of the 19% figure for grocery chains with a similar number of stores, according to the Food Marketing Institute. Almost 6,000 Wegmans employees -- about 20% -- have ten or more years of service, and 806 have a quarter-century under their belts. The supermarket industry's annual turnover costs can exceed its entire profits by more than 40%, according to a study conducted by the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council." (p. 1)

This helps to underscore the implications of those findings which place Wegmans so high on the list of desirable employers. Further research denotes that Wegmans has long offered employee programs which are rare in the food retail industry as a way of preventing turnover. Its personnel are motivated by policies which it says allow for a balance of work responsibilities with the home life needs which are distinct to different individuals, families and situations. Additionally, the company would take a direct interest in helping its younger employees focus simultaneously on the responsiblties of the job and the importance of an education. According to Allen (2000), who commented on Wegmans' designation that year to the Fortune ranking of best companies to work for, "Ann Hyatt, Wegmans consumer-affairs manager for the Syracuse division, says 'Wegmans is very involved in furthering the education of its employees. We've given over $35 million in scholarships to employees since, 1984. That allows us to recruit highly motivated students. The scholarship program isn't just for employees who are going to have careers with Wegmans. We've had people go to law school and medical school on our scholarships. We're just trying to further the education for our employees.'" (p. 1)

The various programs which the company has historically offered are the reason for its highly esteemed industry reputation. In addition to its education programs, Wegmans has offered on-the-job training and occupational advancement programs, including some surprisingly eccentric culinary training ventures to reputable schools and foreign nations for its top chefs. (Boyle, 1) Additionally, the company assists its employees with 401(K) and retirement plans. (Allen, 1) Until recently, Wegmans also offered free comprehensive healthcare coverage to all of its personnel and their families. According to Allen, as of 2000, the company employed 26,219 people and provided coverage for their spouses and children. (p. 1) This indicates an extremely positive policy with respect to achieving work/life balance, creating a positive association between the benefits related to working for Wegmans and the living standard attained by the employee's family.

However, the only negative report produced by an external source in our research is also offered by Boyle, he denotes that in spite of its ambitious coverage program, "even Wegmans is not immune to economic realities. . . Back in August 2003, the company -- which previously covered 100% of employees' health insurance premiums -- asked salaried employees earning more than $55,000 a year to contribute to the cost. This month Wegmans began asking all other employees to pony up too." (Boyle, 1)

Employee Experience:

In light of the generally positive external reviews granted to Wegmans by Fortune magazine and the company's vaunted reputation in the areas of job quality and worker experience, it may be presumed that the employee experience reported on such sites as JobVent.com would confirm the presence of a positive work/life balance there. Indeed, the findings of the Literature Review section indicate that a positive job experience will inherently be characterized in part by the degree to which employees are able to establish a positive work/life balance. Therefore, the use of objective and anonymous reports on personal experiences working for Wegmans Food Markets will be used to determine the degree to which Wegmans has successfully identified and executed the appropriate strategies for attaining this balance.

Anonymous employee reports form the basis for the findings presented in this section. One employee comments on the experience of working as a part-time cook while trying to gain advancement within his particular store in Erie, PA. According to the employee, the channels for personal advancement which might allow an individual to attain the ranks correspondent to the needs of his personal life do not appear to be available or evident. As the employee lobbies for personal advancement, he watches as outside hires are brought in to fill his desired position. According to his own report, "I've been working part time here for 1 year. I was reading through some of the reviews and to my surprise, there are alot [sic] with the same issues I have. I took the job part-time figuring that with my 15+ years of Culinary experience once I got my foot in the door it wouldn't be long before I became full time. Since I have been there 2 people were hired full time for Cook 1 and Cook 2 positions. The jobs were never posted internally. They did have a full time position posted for a Sous Chef, which I was told I couldn't post for because I haven't come up through the proper channels i.e. Cook 1 Cook 2. What channels did the people they hired from outside come through?" (Jobvent.com)

The Erie, PA employee's experiences denote a departure from the claims by Fortune and by Wegmans itself that the company successfully promotes internal advancement. However, the Erie, PA employee's claims correspond to those of other employees, who in addition to citing a lack of clear channels for personal advancement, also connect this absence of channels to a diminished personal experience. Accordingly, we consider the comments of a Wegmans employee from Buffalo, NY who reports that she has been unable to find ways of advancing inside the company in spite of its promises to the contrary. The employee reports that her personal life has suffered because she has invested so much time into attaining an advancement that does not appear to be accessible to her. Also similar to the comments of the respondent from Erie, the Buffalo employee would remark on the nepotism which appears to be an issue for the firm. The respondent indicates that "i have been working here since I was 15 and now I am 19 and guess what people, im still a cashier.. I have tried several times to move up in the company but like people always tell me its not about what you know its who you know.. im glad this website was created because now I know there aare other people out in the world who feel the exact same way [sic]." (JobVent.com)

The comments here both reinforce the emerging finding that Wegmans does not help to advance its employees internally as it claims and, perhaps more importantly, that low job turnover does not inherently translate to positive employee experiences. As demonstrated by the claims of the above respondent, the length of her tenure may not be used as an indicator of job satisfaction as is assumed in compiling the Fortune rankings that have helped to elevate Wegmans' reputation. This may help to explain at least some portion of an apparent disconnect between employee experiences and external findings.

Other findings begin to reveal a pattern which intervenes with the ability of employees to achieve satisfying work/life balance. Namely, many employees report to a pattern in which they are scheduled to work 40+ hour weeks but denied the official full-time status that would grant them access to the firm's generous benefits packages. This means that many employees are not being given adequate time to spend with family, particularly during the holidays. One New Jersey-based employee would report that "we also were understaffed and I basically had no life during holidays." (JobVent.com)